Sensor arrangement validation using simulated environments

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes generating a simulated sensor based on performance features associated with a sensor. The method includes determining a placement indicator specifying a location and orientation of the simulated sensor on a vehicle in a virtual environment associated with the vehicle. The method includes simulating, based on the performance features associated with the sensor, behavior of one or more emissions originating from the simulated sensor in the virtual environment. For each emission, the simulating includes determining an interaction of the emission with one or more simulated objects in the virtual environment. The method includes providing a representation of a capability of the sensor based on the simulated behavior of the emissions.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising, by a computing system:
 generating a simulated sensor based on performance features associated with a sensor; 
 determining a placement indicator specifying a location and orientation of the simulated sensor on a vehicle in a virtual environment associated with the vehicle; 
 simulating, based on the performance features associated with the sensor, behavior of emissions originating from the simulated sensor in the virtual environment as rays emitted from the simulated sensor into the virtual environment as representations of a field-of-view (FOV) of the simulated sensor relative to the virtual environment, wherein the simulating comprises determining a number of the emissions that interact with the virtual environment including one or more simulated objects in the virtual environment; and 
 providing a representation of a capability of the sensor in the location and orientation simulated on the vehicle based on the behavior of the emissions by calculating a performance metric for the simulated sensor based on the behavior of the emissions, including a beam efficiency metric that defines a ratio of the number of emission interactions to a total number of simulated emissions to quantify wasted emissions that indicate which of the emissions did not interact with the one or more simulated objects. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the representation of the capability of the sensor by:
 generating a visual representation of the emissions interactions with the one or more simulated objects in the virtual environment. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 identifying a number of the emissions that interact with the simulated sensor and the vehicle; and 
 calculating the performance metric as a ratio of the number of the emissions that interact with the simulated sensor and the vehicle versus a number of the emissions that interact with the virtual environment. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the representation of the capability of the sensor includes:
 estimating a sensor coverage for the simulated sensor at the location and orientation based on the behavior of the emissions in the virtual environment. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 ,
 wherein estimating the sensor coverage includes determining when the sensor coverage does not satisfy a threshold sensor coverage; and 
 providing a notification indicating that the sensor coverage does not satisfy the threshold sensor coverage. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 generating a visual representation of the sensor coverage of the simulated sensor. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising providing the representation of the capability of the sensor by:
 identifying one or more areas of the virtual environment beyond the sensor coverage of the simulated sensor at the placement indicator based on the behavior. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a sensor type of the simulated sensor, wherein: 
 simulating behavior of the emissions originating from the simulated sensor in the virtual environment further comprises:
 projecting each emission from the simulated sensor into the virtual environment wherein properties of projecting, including at least a direction of the emission, are determined based on the sensor type; and 
 detecting a point of interaction between the emissions and a surface corresponding to a simulated object in the virtual environment. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein a number of emissions projected in a particular portion of the virtual environment over a particular time window is determined based on the performance features associated with the sensor. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the representation of the capability of the sensor by:
 generating a plurality of virtual environments by procedurally generating an arrangement of a plurality of objects in each virtual environment; 
 simulating behavior of emissions originating from the simulated sensor in each virtual environment of the plurality of virtual environments; and 
 combining a representation of the capability of the sensor determined with respect to each virtual environment. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating the virtual environment by:
 constructing a virtual environment encompassing a vehicle operation scenario; and 
 modeling activity of one or more objects in the virtual environment, wherein the activity simulates the behavior of the one or more objects in the vehicle operation scenario. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the representation of the capability of the sensor includes a sensor coverage area associated with the sensor recommended for an autonomous vehicle to navigate the vehicle operation scenario. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the representation of the capability of the sensor includes a performance of the sensor with respect to the one or more objects in the vehicle operation scenario. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modeling a location and orientation of the simulated sensor in the virtual environment by:
 accessing a model of the vehicle having an arrangement of discrete sensor placement locations, wherein an arrangement of discrete sensor placement locations of the model of the vehicle corresponds to the arrangement of the discrete sensor placement locations of the vehicle; and 
 positioning the simulated sensor on the model of the vehicle among the arrangement of discrete sensor placement locations. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 recommending a location and orientation of the sensor on the vehicle based on an optimization of the representation of the capability of the sensor. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modeling the simulated sensor in the virtual environment based on the location and orientation of the simulated sensor specified in the placement indicator. 
 
     
     
       17. A system comprising: one or more processors and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to the one or more of the processors, the one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to:
 generate a simulated sensor based on performance features associated with a sensor; 
 determine a placement indicator specifying a location and orientation of the simulated sensor on a vehicle in a virtual environment associated with the vehicle; 
 simulate, based on the performance features associated with the sensor, behavior of emissions originating from the simulated sensor in the virtual environment as rays emitted from the simulated sensor into the virtual environment as representations of a field-of-view (FOV) of the simulated sensor relative to the virtual environment, wherein the instructions to simulate include instructions to determine a number of the emissions that interact with the virtual environment including one or more simulated objects in the virtual environment; and 
 provide a representation of a capability of the sensor in the location and orientation simulated on the vehicle based on the behavior of the emissions by calculating a performance metric for the simulated sensor based on the behavior of the emissions, including a beam efficiency metric that defines a ratio of the number of emission interactions to a total number of simulated emissions to quantify wasted emissions that indicate which of the emissions did not interact with the one or more simulated objects. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to provide the representation of the capability of the sensor by:
 generating a visual representation of the emissions interactions with the one or more simulated objects in the virtual environment. 
 
     
     
       19. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 generate a simulated sensor based on performance features associated with a sensor; 
 determine a placement indicator specifying a location and orientation of the simulated sensor on a vehicle in a virtual environment associated with the vehicle; 
 simulate, based on the performance features associated with the sensor, behavior of emissions originating from the simulated sensor in the virtual environment as rays emitted from the simulated sensor into the virtual environment as representations of a field-of-view (FOV) of the simulated sensor relative to the virtual environment, wherein the simulating comprises determining a number of the emissions that interact with the virtual environment including one or more simulated objects in the virtual environment; and 
 provide a representation of a capability of the sensor in the location and orientation simulated on the vehicle based on the behavior of the emissions by calculating a performance metric for the simulated sensor based on the behavior of the emissions, including a beam efficiency metric that defines a ratio of the number of emission interactions to a total number of simulated emissions to quantify wasted emissions that indicate which of the emissions did not interact with the one or more simulated objects.